Sited in a clearing on a wooded slope, this house was designed to maximize interior daylight and take advantage of specific views of Pole Pass and distant Glacier Peak. The clients, a couple downsizing as their grown kids graduated from college, requested a low maintenance, somewhat quirky craftsman house that reflected their love of the island and their desire to simplify. It would also need to incorporate an eclectic collection of salvaged materials.
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The house steps up the topography, with each level emphasizing a different view of the property and larger region.
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A cedar trellis shelters the south-facing Entry porch. A sod roofed cedar shed hides trash storage and the propane tank.
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The woodstove surround is made from stones collected on the property. Operable vents near the ceiling allow warm air from the woodstove into the upstairs bedroom. The Living Room built-in bench backs up against a media cabinet, and provides one of 6 guest sleeping spots.
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The Library can be closed off with a pair of rolling doors to create private sleeping quarters for guests. A movable bookcase accesses a secret chamber. The stair railing is made out of salvaged futon frame slats.
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The stair acts as a lightwell that connects 4 levels of living space. A bed-sized window seat in the Library doubles as guest sleeping quarters.
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Vents below the Bedroom window seat let in heat from the woodstove downstairs. The built-in bench helps make the small (190sf) bedroom feel bigger, and provides another guest sleeping spot. A view from the Bedroom to the Office shows salvaged windows, a porthole and a beach log all collected by the Owners.
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The topmost level of the house is an office retreat, customized to the needs of an author/ college professor and inspired by the notion of a treehouse.
![](https://stoltzkau.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Fern-Hill-15L-marked-2001-x-3000.jpg)
![](https://stoltzkau.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Fern-Hill-16L-2000x3000-1.jpg)
Unless noted with an Asterix, images this page by Taj Howe